PMQs: David Cameron ridicules Labour over list of 'hostile' MPs

Jeremy Corbyn's attempts to hold David Cameron to account over the Budget and
disability cuts is swept aside as the Prime Minister ridicules Labour over a
leaked list of its MPs labelling them as "hostile" or not

The Prime Minister repeatedly called on the list, which ranks MPs from "core" to "hostile" and was reportedly drawn up by key allies of the Labour leader, asking Tory MPs to raise their hands in support of Mr Corbyn.

But he refused Mr Corbyn's invitation to apologise for the stress disabled people suffered after Chancellor George Osborne made a U-turn on his attempt to cut their benefits after Iain Duncan Smith's dramatic resignation rocked the Government.

Mr Corbyn sought to highlight Tory divisions and quoted Mr Duncan Smith's accusation that now abandoned plans to cut to personal independence payments (PIP) were a political decision.

But Mr Cameron attacked the "dressed up" compassion from Labour and insisted the Government had to make spending reductions and target a budget surplus by the end of the Parliament.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Corbyn asked: "If it's all so fine and dandy, then the question has to be asked - why did Mr Duncan Smith feel it necessary to resign as work and pensions secretary, complaining that the cuts being announced were to fit our three fiscal targets?

"He said they were distinctly political rather than in the national economic interest.

"In the initial announcement he proposed cuts in PIPs, then changed his mind, isn't Mr Duncan Smith right when he says this was a political decision rather than one made in the interests of people in this country?"

Mr Cameron replied: "I believe that, after seven or eight years of economic growth, it is right to be targeting a surplus because a responsible government puts aside money for a rainy day.

"I don't want to be part of a Government that doesn't have the courage to pay off our debts and leave them instead to our children and grandchildren and that is the truth.

"What is dressed up as compassion from Labour just means putting off difficult decisions and asking our children to pay the debts we weren't prepared to pay ourselves."

Jeremy Corbyn

The PM then went on to attack Labour about the party's own divisions over Mr Corbyn's leadership.

Holding the list obtained by the Times, Mr Cameron said: "I don't know why the shadow leader of the House (Chris Bryant) is shouting at me.

"We've got a very interesting document today, we've got the spreadsheet of which Labour MP is on which side.

"You are shouting, but it says here you are 'neutral but not hostile'.

"The chief whip (Rosie Winterton) on the other hand, the chief whip is being a bit quiet.

"There are five categories - we've got 'core support', I think you can include me in that lot, we've got 'core plus', the chief whip is being a bit quiet because she's in 'hostile'.